Mushrooms[1], also known as Sub-space Mushrooms[2], add an additional mark or heart to the life meter, up to a maximum of four. Additionally, the Mushrooms also turn Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad back into their Super forms if they are in their Small forms in the same manner as a Super Mushroom or a small heart, and the health meter is refilled upon collection. Mushrooms are found only in specific Subspace locations within the stage.

In Super Mario Advance, an extra mushroom is added to each level, bringing the maximum total to five hearts. During the Yoshi Challenge, two mushrooms in each level are replaced by Yoshi Eggs.

In the Mario Kart games, a Mushroom is an item that grants the Kart a burst of speed and allows the player to drive through off-road surfaces without slowing down. Mushrooms can come in singles or triplets, the latter providing three Mushrooms to use in a row. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, a character holds these mushrooms in piles, but if the kart is hit by an item on the road, these mushrooms will fall off and the character will have one remaining on hand. Normally this set appears as default power-ups in time trial mode (excluding Super Mario Kart) to use specially over shortcuts of a determined course, though in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the player is only given two to use rather than three. Another type of Mushroom is the Golden Mushroom, which can be used indefinitely in a restricted period of time.

In recent Mario Kart games, Mushrooms can be used as well to knock over other karts or even steal an item from opponents by ramming them, as seen in Double Dash!!. In later games, this move cannot steal items, but it works to steal balloons, Shine Sprites, or coins from other players during a battle. In Mario Kart 64, using a Mushroom and ramming into other racers will cause them to spin out.

The Mushroom is also used as the logo for the Mushroom Cup in every Mario Kart game to date.

In the PAL versions of Mario Kart 7, they are called the Dash Mushroom and Triple Dash Mushroom.[3][4]

From Mario Kart Wii onwards, it can be used to avoid the Spiny Shell; however, it is difficult to obtain a Mushroom in first place.

In Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Mushroom is slightly more powerful than it is in other games. It also receives a new visual effect; the boost will create a line of flames between the road and the wheels, and it causes the engine to rev louder and higher. When obtained as a set of three, they now revolve around the vehicle, in the same way as the Triple Shells, and other racers that drive into them will feel their effect immediately without causing one to disappear. Mushrooms also have a sponsor named after them, Mushroom Piston.

When a player is gliding, using a Mushroom will provide a pushing force that propels the vehicle higher, allowing them to glide longer.

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, a basic Mushroom can be accumulated in the inventory and recovers 30 HP for one party member. This Mushroom has a red and white cap with an orange stem and no face. However, mushrooms that have faces are found in treasure boxes, and they automatically recover all HP and FP for Mario's entire party once uncovered. Most of these treasure boxes restock once the area is entered again. Other types of mushrooms exist, including two other increasingly expensive kinds used for basic recovery. The Mid Mushroom recovers 80 HP to one party member, and they have a green cap rather than a red one. The Max Mushroom is able to recover all HP to one party member and has a yellow cap. In the Japanese version, the Mid Mushroom and Max Mushroom are respectively known as Super Mushroom and Ultra Mushroom, which would become the terminology used in future RPGs.

There are mushrooms indistinguishable in appearance but instead cause negative effects on allies and adversaries alike. The Bad Mushroom, only found in Seaside Town, does not recover HP and is used only in battle. When used, they poison an enemy of choice, but some enemies are resistant. Another mushroom is sold by the GoombetteTriplets at the shop in Monstro Town. These mushrooms, apart from restoring 30 HP, actually turn the user into a Mushroom (a status ailment also caused by certain enemy actions). While a mushroom, the character recovers health every turn, but is completely immobilized.

Mushrooms appear as items in the Mario Party series. The first time they appear is in Mario Party 2 (where they are Mario's favorite item), and they have reappeared in other Mario Party titles. In Mario Party 4, Mario Party DS, Mario Party 8, and Mario Party 9, the item is not present (although there are similar items, such as Mario Party 4's Mega Mushroom, and Mario Party 8's Twice Candy). They allow for two rolls of the Dice Block during one turn. If the two digits rolled are the same, the user will receive ten Coins. If the user happens to roll two 7's, they will receive twenty Coins. If players want to purchase this item, the price will usually be five Coins.

In Mario Party Advance, their effect is different. In this installment, Mushrooms allow the player to roll the Dice Block. Each turn, a Mushroom will be depleted from the stock. For players to win Mushrooms, they have to win minigames. Players will usually receive three Mushrooms when they win a minigame, although there are cases in which the award for winning a minigame will be six Mushrooms. The game ends when the player doesn't have any Mushrooms left.

Mushrooms appear in the games Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, and Mario Power Tennis for the Nintendo GameCube and Wii. These staples can be used during an Item Battle match, which can be obtained when the player hits an Item Box with the ball over the net. In both games, Mushrooms make players run faster, but in the latter game, they can also grow players who have been shrunk by lightning back to normal size. In Mario Tennis Open for the Nintendo 3DS, tennis gear for Miis is designed based on a Mushroom. It is the emblem of the Mushroom Cup for all the previously mentioned games.

Mushrooms are the basic item for healing in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. They are the cheapest item found in stores and the first item obtained. Their coloring is reversed in this game, with their caps being white with red spots; they also lack faces. Regular Mushrooms restore 25 HP, Super Mushrooms restore 50 HP, Ultra Mushrooms restore 120 HP, and Max Mushrooms restore all HP. Five special Golden Mushrooms can also be found in the game; the rare item restores all HP and BP. Shroom Badges and Shroom clothings that can be purchased at certain shops will increase Mario and Luigi's stats according to the number of Mushrooms in their inventory.

A unique mushroom called the Invincishroom (a mix of 1-Up Mushrooms and Stars) can be found only when the player has beaten the high score of a certain minigame. The player cannot use it, however, because Mario eats it as soon as he and Luigi win it, causing him to become very sick and slowly turn into a bean. Luigi cures Mario by giving him Crabbie Grass, which is found in Guffawha Ruins.

In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mushrooms act in the same manner as in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga; they restore HP for one member. While the Max Mushroom is still the same, the regular, Super, and Ultra Mushrooms heal 20 HP, 40 HP and 80 HP respectively. There are also items called Mushroom Drops, which will heal every single member on the team, very much like the Nuts in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga. Unlike Max Mushroom and Max Nuts, however, there is nothing more powerful than Ultra Drops. Shroom Badges make a return, but with a different effect: they now increase the healing effects of a Mushroom.

Shroobs, the main enemies in this game, bear a resemblance to Mushrooms. They have the same mushroom shape and spots, and they even live on a planet shaped like a mushroom.

Mushrooms return in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake, but Mushroom Drops are replaced in favor of the original Mario & Luigi series Nuts. Mushrooms act in the same manner as in the two preceding games. Mushrooms in this game heal 30 HP, Super Mushrooms heal 60 HP, Ultra Mushrooms 120 HP, and Max Mushrooms heal 240 HP instead of all HP like in the previous installments.

Also, there was a clothing item called the Mushroom Glove, which would have a random mushroom be consumed every turn to the one wearing the glove.

Bowser does not eat mushrooms unless a Goomba/Bob-omb from a Jailgoon or the Broque Monsieur "fight", a Trashure or Dark Trashure, or a Naplock gives him one, or he uses Refreshrooms, which recover half of his Health Meter (only when he is Giant Bowser).

In Paper Mario, Mushrooms take the role as healing items, similar to other Mario RPGs. In this game, they heal 5 HP when used. Several variations of Mushrooms could be found, such as the Volt Shroom or the Life Shroom. Recipes can also be made for other types of Mushrooms by combining certain ingredients together by Tayce T.

Mushrooms return in the Paper Mario sequel, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They heal in the same manner as in the previous game, with the addition that - now that Mario's partners have HP - mushrooms can restore a partner's HP also.

The many variations of Mushrooms from the previous game return, with the addition of the Slow Shroom. Small creatures named Punies commonly eat Mushrooms, shown by brother and sister Punio and Petuni. At the end of the game, Punio and Petuni give both Mario & Peach a Mushroom to enjoy on their boat ride home.

Unlike in the preceding games, Mushrooms cannot be bought in shops in Super Paper Mario. Instead, they are found out of ? Blocks and heal ten HP upon contact. They also give the player one thousand points. Replacing them is the Shroom Shake.

In the fourth game of the Paper Mario series, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Mushrooms appear, much like every other item, as stickers. They restore 20 HP, but if the button is pressed with good timing, the effect can be increased to 30. Two stronger Mushroom stickers also exist: the Shiny Mushroom, which acts like a Super Shroom, which restores 40 or 60 HP, and the Flashy Mushroom, which acts like an Ultra Shroom, which restores 80 or 99 HP. Big 1UP and Big Shiny 1UP stickers also appear, restoring 10 or 15 HP for 10 turns, respectively, and Poison Mushrooms, which poison Mario, but enemies also get poisoned if they touch him.

In Paper Mario: Color Splash, Mushrooms appear as cards. They use up red paint when colored in, restore a small amount of HP when used, and cost 20 coins at Prisma Cardware. In addition to regular Mushrooms, Big Mushroom and Mega Mushroom cards also appear, which cost 70 and 150 coins respectively and restore more HP.

Mushrooms appear in Mario Golf: World Tour as usable item shots. They make the ball roll much farther when they hit the ground. They are also seen as tee markers on the Toad Highlands golf course. Trophies for Castle Club tournaments, and the lampposts of the building's exterior, have models of Mushrooms. The Mushrooms are red on regional tournament trophies and their spots are the trophy's color, while on world tournament trophies, the Mushrooms have crowns on them and are completely colored like the rest of the trophy.